A thought by Max Lucado (2011-05-02) from his book, Cure for the Common Life (p. 94). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)
I want to live a life that makes a difference for God. Do you?
Max says, “…I remind you that we have two bosses: one who signs our checks and one who saves our souls. The second has keen interest in our workaday world. What if everyone worked with God in mind? Suppose no one worked to satisfy self or please the bottom line but everyone worked to please God.”
He goes on, “Many occupations would instantly cease: drug trafficking, thievery, prostitution, nightclub and casino management. Certain careers, by their nature, cannot please God. These would cease. Certain behaviors would cease as well. If I’m repairing a car for God, I’m not going to overcharge his children. If I’m painting a wall for God, you think I’m going to use paint thinner?”
Max tells a story, “When Michelangelo was in his early thirties, the pope invited him to Rome to complete a special project. Pope Julius II initially asked him to sculpt a papal tomb but then changed his plans and invited him to paint a dozen figures on the ceiling of a Vatican chapel. The sculptor was tempted to refuse. Painting was not his first passion, and a small chapel was not his idea of a great venue. But the pope urged him to accept, so he did. Some historians suspect a setup. Jealous contemporaries convinced the pope to issue the invitation, certain the sculptor would decline and fall into the disfavor of the pontiff.”
He goes on, “Michelangelo didn’t decline. He began the work. And as he painted, his enthusiasm mounted. Four years, four hundred figures, and nine scenes later, Michelangelo had changed more than the chapel; he’d changed the direction of art. His bold frescoes rerouted the style of European painting. He so immersed himself in the project that he nearly lost his health. ‘I felt as old and as weary as Jeremiah,’ he said of his state. ‘I was only thirty-seven, yet my friends did not recognize the old man I had become.’ What happened? What changed him? What turned his work of obligation into an act of inspiration? The answer might lie in a response he gave to a question. An observer wondered why he focused such attention on the details of the corners of the chapel. ‘No one will ever see them,’ he suggested. Michelangelo’s reply? ‘God will.’”
Max finishes this section by saying, “...Imagine if everyone worked for the audience of One. Every nurse, thoughtful. Every officer, careful. Every professor, insightful. Every sales-person, delightful. Every teacher, hopeful. Every lawyer, skillful. Every corner of every chapel, glistening. Impossible? Not entirely. All we need is someone to start a worldwide revolution. Might as well be us.”
What would happen if you and I worked with God in mind? What would happen?
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